Box



Patented Nov. 18, 1930 i UNITED STATES ARNOLD wE'rzLnR, or FAR RooxAWAY, NEW vom:

Box

Application led January 26, 1929. Serial No. 335,258.

'lhis invention relates to boxes and more particularly to boxes having a flexible closure or roll to The obJects of the invention are to provide a box wherein the roll top will operate under varying conditions; to prevent the roll top from sticking while being-operated; to confine the roll top to a fixed path of movement as little as possible; to direct the roll top in its movement with a maximuin amount of freedom; to provide a roll top which will be attractive, efficient, durable and inexpensive to manufacture; to secure simplicity of construction and operation, and to .obtain yother` advantages and results asf-may be 1 brought out in the following description.

i Referring to the accompanying drawing in v 'which like numerals of reference indicate i similar parts throughoutv the-several views;

i Figure 1 is a longitudinal'sectional view of a box embodying my invention, the section being taken as upon line 1`1 of Fig. 2;

Figure 2 is a plan of said box, showing parts broken away at one corner for disclosing features of construction;

Figure 3 is a sectional view substantially upon line 3.-3 of Fig. 1; and

Figure 1 is a longitudinal enlarged sectional view of a portion of the roll top.

illustrated in said drawing, the reference numeral 1 indicates the body portion of the box which provides in the present showinig longitudinal side Walls parallel to each ot 1er and upstanding from a bottom Wall 3. IThere are also upstanding end walls 4, 5 between the y .ends of the vsaidside walls thereby complettom wall` 3 so as to provide a longitudinal.

pocket 7 between said bottom walls. Adjacent onevend ofthe box, as for instance in relatively close relationship to end 5 of saidA In the specific embodiment of the inventionbox I provide a parallel end Wall 8. For convenience in designation, this second mentioned end Wallis referred to as the false end, as it appears when looking into the box to be the end of the same. It will be observed that said false end 8 extends from side to side of the box and to the false bottom 6, but does not extend across the end of the pocket 7 thereby enabling the rolltop or flexible covering hereinafter described, to pass from the chamber 9 between end Walls 5 and 8 into the pocket 7 between the bottom walls 3 and 6.

spaced from the upper edge of side wall and preferably parallel to said upper edge is a slide groove 10. The groove 10 in which side Wall is opposite to the groove 10 in the other side wall so as to slidably receive the edge margins of a flexible or roll top cover 11. The end wall 4 is also preferably grooved as at 12 in the same plane as groove 10 of the side walls, and the grooves 10 continue along the side wall as far as the opposite false end 8. The roll top 11 has a width such that its side edgesrextend substantially to the depth of said grooves 10, thereby providing a sliding -fit and a. tight closure when the roll top is slid into closed position. The false end wall '8 extends up to the bottom of said groove 10 and therefore the roll top 1l will rest upon this end wall land also forma tight closure thereat. The

side walls for the portion thereof between the two ends 5 and 8,` are preferably cut away so as to provide a width of chamber 9 greater. than the width of the roll top and of the grooves 10 in which said roll top slides. This construction therefore. enables the roll top to lit snugly within the groove 10, but loosely for such portions of the said roll top which are notfwin grooves 10. In this connection, it may be pointed out that the pocket 7 between the bottoms is also as wide as chamber 9 between the end walls and that the roll top when positioned between said bottom wall will be loose and freely movable.

` At the upper part of said end chamber 9 and extending to the outer end wall 5 is a permanent top closure and deflector 13. This deilector is preferably so arranged that the roll top, when being pushed open, will 13 is a roller 14 which is preferably held on suitable pintles at its ends so as to rotate l under the influence of said roll top and enable said roll top to be operated with greater ease. It is to be observed, however, that the space allowed between said deflector 13 and roller 14 is suitably greater than the thickness of the roll top so as to give a desirable degree of freedom to said roll top which also assists in reducing the resistance to operation. The end edge 16 of the said deflector 13 directed toward the opposite end wall 4 preferably constitutes a stop for engagement by a cleat 17 or other suitable operating `means projecting upwardly from the said roll top ad]acent its end. This cleat preferably is spaced from the extreme end of the'said roll top so as to provide a lip 18 which will enter groove 12 in the end wall and provide a tight closure when the rolltop is slid to extreme closed position.

Within the chamber 9 between the end walls and at the bottom part thereof is a ylower deflector 19 which will direct the hidden end of the roll top toward and into the pocket 7. While I have shown this deflector 19 asoffixed construction in the present disclosure, it is to be understood that I do not confine myself to this detail'. It is to be emphasized that the utmost freedom of the roll topl is provided within the chamber 9 and pocket 7.

The construction of roll top which I em ploy is shown to be a strip of corrugated cardboard or other semi-stiff` material 2.0 which is reenforced on its under side by other material such as a fabric 21 (see Fig. 4).'

The cardboard may be corrugated either before or after application of the reenforced material 21 as found most desirable in manufacture of the invention. The cardboard supplies a sufficient degree of rigidity to enable me to slide the roll top at its hidden end within the chamber 9 and into pocket 7` without the aid of any confining groove. This construction of roll top therefore is of such a character that I can not only obtain proper operation by use of a minimum confining of said top, but also may enable me toi'materially reduce friction in a roll top of this character and eliminate difficulties of manufacture and operation which have heretofore faced a manufacturer of boxes of thisl type where the roll top is of more flexible nature and the rsame has been confined in agroove throughout its length.

Obviously detail changes and modifications -may' be made in the construction and use of my invention, and I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the exact structure shown and described except as set forth in the following claims when construed in the light of the prior art.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. A box construction, comprising side, end and bottom walls, and a flexible slidable cover, said side walls each having a substantially straight groove therein terminating a distance from one end wall, said grooves adapted to receive said cover and said cover adapted to slide substantially out of said groove so the portion of the cover beyond the said groove will be relatively free, an upper deflector opposite the end of said groove for deflecting the Icover in a direction towardithe -bottoln wall after leaving the groove, 'said box having a bottom chamber for receiving the cover, a bottom deflector cooperating with the upper deflector for again deflecting the flexible cover toward and into said bottom chamber, and a member adjacent the end ofthe groove underlying the said cover4 and having a limited engagement therewith for aiding re-entry of the cover into the groove with minimum restriction of the freedom of the cover when slid out of the groove, whereby the cover is substantially free and unrestricted outside of the groove and the restricted portion is entirely within a straight groove.

2. A box construction, com rising side, end and bottom walls, and a exible slidable cover, said side walls each having a substantially straight groove therein terminating a distance from one end wall, said grooves adapted to receive said cover and said cover adapted to slide substantially out fof said groove so the portion of the cover beyond the said groove will be relatively free, an upper deflector opposite-the end of said groove for deflecting the cover in a direction toward the bottom wall after leaving the groove, said box having a bottom chamber for receiving the cover, a bottom deflector cooperating with the upper deflector for again deflecting the flexible cover toward and into said bottom chamber, and a Substantially cylindrical member-adjacent the end of the groove underlying the said cover so' as to have a limited engagement therewith 4for aiding re-entry of the cover into the groove with minimum restriction of the freedom ofthe cover when slid out of the groove, whereby the cover is substantially free and unrestricted outside of the groove and the restricted portion is entirely within a straight groove. l

3. A box construction, comprising side, end and bottom walls and a flexible slidable cover, said side walls each having a substantially straight groove therein terminating a distance from one end wall, said grooves adapted to receive said cover and said cover adaptlll) ed to slide substantially out of said groove so the portion of the cover beyond. the said avevano y ve will be relatively free, an upper deector opgosite the end of said groove for de- Y J fleeting t e cover in a direction toward the bottom wall after leaving the groove, said 5 boxhaving a bottom chamber for receiving the cover, a4 bottom deflector cooperating' with the upper deilector for again deflecting the ilexible cover toward and into said bottom chamber, and a rotatable roller extendm, ing across the box adjacent the ends of the grooves underlying the said cover andadapted to be rotated .by engagement -of the cover therewith for aiding re-entry of the cover into the groove with minimum restriction of 15 the freedom of the cover when slid out of the groove, whereby the cover is substantially ree and unrestricted outside of the groove and the restricted portion is entirely within va straight groove.

l 2a A'RNOLD WETZLER. 

